Source:IBPAColumn Service MAY 2021Tim Bourke**Source: wikipedia:Tim Bourke “is an Australian bridge player and writer. His joint project with Justin Corfield “the Art of Declarer Play” won the International Bridge Press Book of the Year award in 2014.IMPs Dealer West. Both Vul
Q J 8 2
A 4
A J 10 8
9 7 6
A K 10 9 7 6
5
Q 9
K 5 4 3
West
North
East
South
1
Dbl
2
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
Opening Lead: K
Plan of play?
This deal was played in a team match with identical auctions and leads, the king of hearts. At the first table, declarer won with the ace of hearts and ruffed a heart. Then, after drawing trumps with the queen and king, he led the queen of diamonds and ran it when West played low. This proved to be a disaster as East won the trick with the king of diamonds and shifted to the jack of clubs. The defenders took three club tricks to defeat the contract.
You could argue that this was bad luck but at the second table, declarer did not believe in being unlucky when it could be avoided. His opening move was to allow the king of hearts to win the first trick. West, noting his partner’s nine of hearts, shifted to a diamond at trick two. Alas, it was a trick too late, for declarer rose with the ace of diamonds, drew trumps with the king and queen.
Next, he threw his queen of diamonds on the ace of hearts and led the jack of diamonds. East covered this with the king and declarer ruffed. After crossing back to dummy with a trump to the jack, declarer threw two low clubs on the good jack and eight of diamonds. Then declarer led a club to his king and West’s ace before claiming ten tricks: six spades, three diamonds and a heart.
Note that if West had held the king of diamonds and had won the sixth trick, while declarer threw a club on the jack of diamonds, the defenders would still have made only three tricks no matter how the play proceeded: one trick in each of hearts, diamonds and clubs.
The complete deal:
Q J 8 2
A 4
A J 10 8
9 7 6
